And then they were in a fit of laughter, so bad it made Layla spasm in coughing and she had to slap him lightly to move so she could breathe.
He did. With a growl, Dusk did an impressively quick push-up, launching off Layla and plopping to a seat beside her on the rose quartz floor. He was still chuckling as she gasped for air, shuddering with aftershocks. Her hand fell to the floor beside her and landed on a scatter of small fragments. Picking one up in her fingertips, Layla lifted it – discovering it was an actual crystal about an inch long and clear like a diamond. Deep within its core, an endless diamond-gold fire writhed like stars being born, shining through all the facets. Amazed and spent, Layla laughed again, wondering at what they had wrought together in their climax.
Reaching out, Dusk smoothed a hand over her naked abdomen and ribs – rolling another deep wave of pleasure through her.
“Stop!” Layla laughed, coughing and letting the crystal drop from her fingers, then trapping his hand to her ribs. “Ohmigod, stop!”
“Pretty good, huh?” Dusk gave another sexy chuckle, though he left off shuddering her with his magics. His other hand gathered a handful of crystals from the floor and he admired them with an incredulous look, shaking his head with a grin. “I told you that being with me when I’m healthy was worth waiting for.”
“Prettydamngood. And it was worth waiting for.” Layla gasped, grinning as their eyes met. She laughed, still breathless, still feeling endless waves of pleasure rolling through her. Watching her, Dusk’s face softened, a handsome wistfulness taking him. Letting the crystals fall back to the floor, he leaned over her, gazing down with a complex and lovely passion in his bright eyes.
“It was.” He echoed softly.
And then he kissed her – on and on and on.
CHAPTER 7 – DAWN
Layla still couldn’t sit up off the rose quartz floor, her Dragon glowing as she and Dusk languished in the crystal bath-house. Sitting beside her, Dusk smoothed his palm over her belly and Layla let him, glorious with delight and feeling entirely boneless. He didn’t rumble her, only touched her with the exquisite silkiness of his palm, stirring the mist as the fire-crystals of their lovemaking twisted with ethereal flames beneath the wan light of the dome. Layla closed her eyes, a deeply contented smile lifting her lips as he rubbed her belly and breasts.
“Who’s ready for a swim?” Dusk chuckled, teasing and sexy.
Smiling, Layla opened her eyes. “I think I’ll drown. I can’t even move, really.”
“You don’t need to move. Just hang on.”
She was about to ask him what he meant, when Layla felt herself being scooped up from the floor. In one incredibly lithe, strong movement, Dusk cradled her to his chest, then turned and slung his legs into the milky pool and slid them both down into the water. Layla barely had time to blink before she was up to her chest in milky water, cradled close to Dusk’s strong body and wrapping her arms up around his neck – watching their fire-crystals flicker all around them like thousands of tiny candles beneath the stars.
They kissed, for a long time. Turning her on his lap, Dusk clasped Layla close with her back to his strong chest, Layla resting her head on his shoulder as she felt the deep pleasure of him breathe. Cupping her ribs as he slid a hand down, he chuckled by her ear as he slipped his middle finger into her cleft again. His low, masculine rumble rolled through Layla again as he stroked her in languid circular movements; then smoother, quicker, more concentrated.
All around them, the fire-crystals brightened, flaring hotter as Dusk’s rumble stirred them, as he stirred Layla’s passion with his fingers. Concentrating in her pelvis and groin, he vibrated that energy into her clitoris through his fingertips. Layla writhed as that rumble built, little lights brightening all around them.
Just when she couldn’t take it anymore, he thrust two fingers inside her, taking her deep and fast; hard. Wrapping an arm around her so she could feel his strength, trapping her close, Dusk held her firm upon his pleasure. All that pleasure was suddenly cresting in a hot, bright wave, rising up through Layla with a gasp and a clench of powerful coils as the climax pummeled her – shuddering her hard before it sighed away.
“My god!” Layla gasped, undone as Dusk rolled his fingers deep inside her, smoothing his other hand over her ribs and cupping her breast tenderly.
“I don’t think I will ever tire of doing that to you, Layla Price.” He chuckled by her ear, grinning into her neck and kissing her as he continued to slide his fingers deep inside her – though it was soothing now rather than arousing.
“I don’t think I will, either!” Layla gasped in sweet oblivion, her head falling back on his shoulder as she breathed hard, undulating with his deep touch.
“Maybe I’ll do it while you’re training with Reginald,” he chuckled, grinning at her ear.
“Don’t you dare.” She tried to make it sound like a warning, but she was so pleasured right now that it didn’t matter. Everything throbbed in the most languid, wonderful way, their lovemaking like a spiral of passion and joy that had not yet released either of them.
“You are an amazing woman, Layla,” Dusk murmured as he finally slid his fingers out of her. Layla gasped with pleasure and he slid both hands up, cupping her breasts, massaging them, caressing his hands over her ribs. “I can’t tell you how much I needed this, with you, tonight.”
“I really needed you, too.” Layla sighed with a small smile.
“I couldn’t tell.”
She felt him grin as he caressed her. His touch was even smoother in the milky water of the pool, like the water had been created to make his skin pure bliss. Layla languished, wondering how many hours had passed since the party, though she didn’t really care. The Hotel could wait. Reginald could wait. Adrian could wait. She was relaxed here in Dusk’s arms, and he was right – they needed this. But something still nibbled at her, and at last, she had to voice it.
“Does anyone know we’re here, Dusk? Like… if something bad happens with Adrian or the Board tonight?”
His chuckle was very male as he smoothed his hands over her belly beneath the water. “Rikyava can scent my whereabouts, and probably yours too by now. She’s got an intensely keen ability to smell magic. I’m sure she knows you’re not in Reginald’s room and I’m not in mine. She’s got the Guard on high alert tonight. If anything happens that we need to be aware of, she’ll come find us.”
“Fair enough.” Layla settled back on his chest as he smoothed his hands over her ribs beneath the water. Cupping her breasts again, his gentle but firm touch made her arch as he ran his thumbs over her nipples. Closing her eyes, Layla surrendered to the sensation, Dusk adding a sub-sonic rumble that tingled her as he gently kissed her neck.
“I don’t think I can go again right now,” she murmured, a smile creeping up her lips.
